But no one seems to want to save the children anymore

It is so easy to become discouraged and depressed these days.  There are so many horrible things happening in our world.  This is especially true when we see so many shootings.  It's time to say enough is enough, but I have said this before!  Is anyone listening?

People argue on social media for a day or two and then it seems to be business as usual again.  Overnight someone responded to a tweet of mine saying the solution is for everyone to be carrying guns.  He was serious too.

I'm not going to tell you how to fix the problem, because it is complex and cannot be corrected by a simple act.  We can't keep ignoring it though.  We need to do something.  If we don't care about each other, then let's at least think of the children. But no one seems to want to save the children anymore.  That line from Kendrew Lascelles poem "The Box" keeps popping into my head.  (His poem was about war, but the sentiment still fits).

 

I was looking the other day at the face of a little boy who was shot a few years ago at the Gilroy Garlic Festival.  This morning I'm thinking especially of those killed at that parade near Chicago.  How many kids were witness to this tragedy?  I think of the many kids who have been shot and killed, so many of them in their own schools.  There is public outcry for a few days and then everyone moves on.  Every human life is precious, but for those who suggest that some folks "deserve what they get," let me again point to the children.  How can an innocent child deserve to die?  Do you have an answer?  But no one seems to want to save the children anymore. 

 

Will YOU do something today?  Will you make a phone call or write a letter or talk to your friends and family or overwise convey your feelings that something must be done?  In many countries the people would be out in the streets marching for safety and peace.  What is happening in the United States where mass shootings have become so common?

 

But no one seems to want to save the children anymore.

Missing a piece of the puzzle

Somehow I never really got into the jigsaw puzzle thing. Mom loved them and I remember her having them laid out on a card table when I was little. It might take her a while because she stopped to do other things, but when she found those last pieces, it was an accomplishment - especially that last missing piece of the puzzle.

 

Sometimes our lives are like that. It doesn't mean we are unhappy necessarily, but we are looking for something that just is not there. When it comes: WOW! It seems somewhat like finding those missing puzzle pieces. (Now of course if you are putting together a jigsaw puzzle, you actually look for those pieces. In life we might not even realize that something is even missing).

 

So what do we do? Well, keeping our minds and our hearts open to new possibilities is always a good thing. Listening to others and realizing that "our" way might not be the "only" way is a start in the right direction. If we think there is a missing piece that we'd like to find, there is nothing wrong with asking for help too. Perhaps our puzzle pieces are a bit more fluid than those of the jigsaw puzzle. Perhaps in some cases, there is nothing really missing at all.

Living life to the fullest

I noticed in an obituary the other day that the deceased person they were writing about was said to have lived life to the fullest. What exactly does that mean though?

There are those who let life pass them by. They really don't enjoy the day-to-day wonders. Many years ago, when I worked in radio, I used to say "Smell the flowers along the way. They're only here for a very short while and they need a lot of love to grow." In other words, enjoy life - live it to its fullest potential!

Ernest Hemingway asked, “Don't you ever get the feeling that all your life is going by and you're not taking advantage of it?" What a great question! Just think about it for a moment.

Take advantage of all the good around you. Smell the flowers indeed but do so much more. Enjoy family and friends. Do good. Appreciate beauty in its many forms. Take risks. As Auntie Mame taught us, we should "Live! Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!"